Obviously I'm no expert, but I like giving advice
so thought I'd share some of my top tips on where you should go if you want to
travel - whether that's a 2 week holiday, weekend break or gap yah.
My first point - and this is the main one - is that you should go where YOU wanna go, not where you think you should be going. I get it, like everything in life there are trends. First it was Iceland, then it was Croatia, then Barcelona. Not to mention the standard backpacker trail of Thailand > Vietnam > Laos > Cambodia > Malaysia > Singapore > Bali > Australia > New Zealand. But I hear so many people say they want to 'go here' and 'go there', yet when I ask what they actually want to see or do during their trip it's usually met with a blank face. I can't help but think 'Do you actually want to go there? Do you even know where that place is on the map? Or do you want to go because the entire blogosphere is talking about it so you feel like you should?' I'm not saying that's always the case, but surely not everyone on the internet can want to go to the same few countries - that goes against the very obvious fact that people are individuals and everyone has different likes and dislikes. I had no interest whatsoever in going to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia or Singapore - so I didn't go. In fact, the only reason I went to Vietnam was because I had 10 days to kill and my friend was going. Yeah I enjoyed Halong Bay, but I wouldn't rave about Vietnam like most people I know do. Taking recomendations from friends and inspiration from the internet is great - it can lead you to places you'd never even considered which can only be a positive thing. But if you've spent your whole life dreaming of going to Brazil, go to Brazil. Don't feel like you have to go to Australia just because everyone else is.
I'd also recommend basing your decision on what it is you want from the trip. Do you want to party or chill? A city break or great beaches? Do your research before you go so you know what the country has to offer and whether it sounds like the type of trip you want to take. There's no point going to Melbourne thinking you're going to experience a stunning Aussie beach like you see on photos when Melbourne is known for its city life - not it's beaches (which fyi are very average). Likewise, there's no point going to Ubud in Bali if you want to party because there really isn't a party scene - you're best off going to Kuta or Gili T instead. If you just want some sizzling heat whilst lazing around in a resort all day, you might be best off going somewhere cheap like the Canary Islands rather than spending a fortune flying to the other side of the world for the same experience.
It's equally as important to research how expensive the place you want to go to is so you have realistic expectations. I once had a friend who said they wanted to go to Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South America, the USA and Africa and asked how much the trip would cost them cause they have no savings. Erm....... I think you'd need to win the lottery. Japan, Australia, NZ and the US are some of the most expensive countries in the world that require A LOT of saving if you really want to make the most of your trip and experience everything. If you book a flight thinking it's going to be cheap as chips, you're in for a big shock. Set realistic goals and visit the countries you know you can afford or be prepared to sacrifice a lot in order to save the money. I can't afford Japan on top of my USA trip at the moment, so I'm going to have to wait until I can build my savings up again. For me, it's all about prioritising where I want to go the most and being patient with the places I can't afford yet.
Hope these help in some way :)
xx
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